It all started with a dream and an idea - could I actually pull it off? Paying 20.000+ DKK for a bike is a lot of money, especially for a bike that will be used quite a lot and has a lot of potential for getting stolen. That's where consumerism and big corporations come in. Some rather smart financial decisions led to me being actually able to pull it off. Also, homie got me and my buddy a 15% discount code for Omniums webshop - this was a deal breaker. It meant we could both build our rigs for under 19k if we really wanted to. I think Ivan's cargo (mini-max) ended up costing less then 18k in total - not counting locks etc. That's pretty good, considering we put SLX brakes and a hollowtech crank/bb combo. Omnium charges 23k + for their most basic starter bikes that come with a old school square taper BB and a no-name crankset - I can't blame them, they gotta make profit of course.

Decision was made beginning of the year and now for the most important question - what frame and in what color? I figured, since I have the CXC and I use it every day, I don't really need a super fast and agile cargo bike, but a proper cargo bike. And a proper cargo is their original Cargo - not the mini max. Original cargo has a wider wheel base, looks cooler and can handle much heavier loads. If you're building a cargo bike, might as well go for the real thing. Color wise... well, that's another story. I am not sure what's wrong with Omnium designers but their colorways are less than ideal... They used to have amazing colorways. Basic colorways -> blue, green, red etc... Now they have Pirate Black and Lillac? Why? Like, seriously. Why? Why not have basic colorways like you used to and then add these horrible ones no one will buy anyway? I would have killed for a basic blue color, or diablo red, or that Aston Martin green... As you can probably tell, I am quite upset about this and would have loved if they had different colors. Glorious grey looks quite good actually, especially with red font. But I'd switch it to that Aston Martin green in a heartbeat.

Components were always going to be mtb inspired. This will be a heavy bike with potential for carrying even more - so a capable and durable drivetrain was a must. I had a Deore 5120 rear derailleur with Deore XT trigger that I wanted to use. Having “multi-release” feature is an absolute must once you try it for the first time. Brakes -> SLX 7100 2-piston (not impressed, breaking is really good but they have a “wandering bite point” meaning you never really know when they'll bite) + my right brake lever is a bit fucked and leaking oil so Ill have to replace it soon. Will probably upgrade to a 4-piston calipers when I have 800 DKK to spare -> more on this on my Bornholm camping/climbing roadtrip I just did.

Tyres -> you don't really have too many options when it comes to 20" wheels and to save on some money, my buddy and I went for the 2" Little Joe (full name is Little Joe 20x2.00" Folding Tyre) from Schwalbe along with Rick XC Pro rear tyre boasting a wide 2.25" width for all of that nice shock absorption as well as a smooth middle that allows for fasting rolling speeds on tarmac (full name is Rick XC Pro Super Ground 29" TLR Addix Speedgrip E-25 Folding Tyre). As per the wheelset - plan was to get them at Omnium but they sold out 2 weeks before I was to buy my frame so I ordered mine at Kurbelix over in Germany to get them custom build. Front is Son 28 dynamo hub laced up to a 20” DT-Swiss U663 rim and rear is an older, prawl DT-Swiss 370 hub laced up to the same U663 rim at 28". I went with DT-swiss rims as they are now officially used by Omnium so they must fit the bill, right? Plus, they boast impressive 180kg loading weight and that's not to be taken lightly, even at a cost of a bit higher weight.

Building my own cargo bike has been my dream ever since I first saw Omnium cargo bikes running around Copenhagen. First of all, they look super cool. Bike passengers use them all the time, and it's pretty much the primary bike that bike messengers in Copenhagen use. They're extremely versatile, extremely fast. You can build them in a million different ways. You can let the bike fully express your own personality, which you absolutely love. So, logically, once I started looking into them, I got a bit sad — mainly because I couldn't afford one. Thankfully, I had some money saved up, plus a bonus scheme at my work allowed me to purchase the frame, and then I finally had my own cargo bike. It's now been approximately three months, and I don't regret it one bit. The bike is excellent. It is extremely convenient on days when I go to the office and then go climbing at my local gym — this is the only bike that I use. I load it up with my bag, my rope, my gym bag full of snacks, gym shoes, harness, post-workout protein, extra layers, and climbing clothes.

I've also used it to bike my mom around Copenhagen when she visited. You can't really say that about a normal bike, and I'm extremely happy she got to experience that. Overall, I would say if you can swing one, definitely go for it — but be really careful to treat it well, and make sure you lock it properly. I am by far not an authority on how to lock your bike, but my recommendation is having a rear lock attached to your frame to lock your rear wheel, and then a chain or U-lock that will lock your frame onto a solid object. That way, a thief needs to cut through two locks instead of just one. Remember, your bike is as safe as the object it's locked to.